1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for abrading, i.e. sanding, a wooden barrel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, in barrel works, wooden barrels are sanded entirely manually: an operative loads the barrel onto a lathe, removes a first bilge hoop (a metal ring situated in the largest diameter region, known as the “bilge”) with a hammer and a drift, sands a first half of the barrel with a belt sander, replaces the first bilge hoop, removes the second bilge hoop, sands the second half of the barrel, replaces the second bilge hoop, and finally unloads the barrel from the lathe.
Apart from the fact that these operations are physically very tiring, the operative must work in a very dusty atmosphere.
Moreover, it takes a relatively long time to sand a barrel using the traditional technique.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method that overcome these drawbacks.